The bears of the birch forest, Finland (1). After a long afternoon wait in the hide, finally the big she-bear appeared, accompanied by her three cubs. They were born the same year in January, as my guide told me. It was a hot August evening in the Finnish taiga, in the Russian border that is famous because there it inhabits the mythical brown bear. So hot, and with an air so still, that our human stench flooded the area, so when from the birch forest finally appeared this family of bears, the mother sniffed the air and waved to its offspring that they had careful not to turn away from her. It was very exciting. So we took extreme caution making as little noise as possible and enjoyed watching the cubs playing on the glade. Kuusamo, Oulu. Finland.

Fighting gazelles. Maasai Mara.

Close portrait of a ring-tailed lemur (C).

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (1/22)

The True King, Maasai Mara (1/7).

Morning reindeer. Oulu. Finland.

Black-handed spider monkey

Parque Nacional Tortuguero. Costa Rica

The zebra and the oxpeckers (2)

Roaring leopard backlit. Maasai Mara. For me, a very significant scene.

Giraffe (1)

Least weasel drinking from a pond in the forest.

Beautiful scene of two impalas at Maasai Mara

African bush elephants. Maasai Mara. (1/3)

Elephants in black and white. Maasai Mara.

African bush elephant in the distance, on the plains of Maasai Mara, collecting its food from shrubs

African bush elephant in black and white. Maasai Mara.

A young elephant in black and white. Maasai Mara.

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (1/22)

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (4/22)

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (1/22)

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (3/22)

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (1/22)

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (6/22)

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (1/22)

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (12/22)

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (1/22)

The True King, Maasai Mara (5/7).

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (1/22)

The True King, Maasai Mara (4/7).

This series of photographs were taken very early in the morning, in Maasai Mara, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, no tourists at that time. There was the herd of lions, and it was a pleasure to watch how the puppies played, under the watchful eye of adult females. Two large males accompanied them. Occasionally, females came to pick up the pups so they would not leave the area, so immersed in their games they were. The cubs played one with each other, rolling around, playing even with "toys" (some bones), they were preparing themselves for adulthood, as these games will help them in learning how to hunt. What I observed in both young and adult lions was a very "familiar" behavior, very "human", and I realized how much we seem us, homo sapiens, to these other mammals. The dim morning side light made these lions and their fur and manes shine with their more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. Best of all was the silence and loneliness that accompanied this experience, when you feel like a privileged spectator at the forefront of this event of nature. (19/22)

The True King, Maasai Mara (6/7).

The True King, Masai Mara (2)

Species: Panthera leo. Location: Masai Mara, Kenya. This great male African lion was lying in the grass of the savannah while watching at his herd (females and pups). I was on safari, and we had discovered this herd very early in the morning, with a magnificent light, when silence and solitude rules, because there were no tourists at that time, only the lions and us. At that time I took some great pictures, but I have selected this close-up of the great male looking straight ahead, half hidden by the grass, with a magnificent side light which made his mane shine with its more intense colors, in harmony with the tones of the savannah. A single shot taken from a safari vehicle, using beanbag, a 300 mm f/2.8 lens and 1.4x teleconverter, and a CPL filter.